Preparation (Before)

• No diet before the surgical procedure

Link to chapter: Nutrition

Under local anesthesia:

• Fasting is not necessary. Normal meals , no restriction.

Under general general and loco-regional anesthesia:

Stop eating and drinking

If the surgical procedure is performed under local anesthesia:

No preoperative examinations are systematically necessary.

If surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia:

Besides the examinations carried out for the diagnosis of the disease, there are also examinations required for the anesthesia department.

• Preoperative investigations such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray and blood tests are requested depending on the patient’s general condition and history.
• Patients under 65 years of age in good general condition, will only require a blood test in most cases.
• Appointments with the anesthesia, pulmonology or cardiology departments will be requested depending on the patient’s history and general condition.

Pulmonology department (lung diseases)

+32 2 614 27 10

+32 2 614 20 00 

Cardiology department

+32 2 614 25 40 

• If preoperative examinations were carried out, external to the Europe hospitals, do not forget to bring them with you on the day of surgery or at the anesthesia consultation!
  

Resection of a skin tag is performed under general anesthesia, locoregional anesthesia (rachianesthesia) or under local anesthesia.

When performing the resection under local anesthesia, no anesthesist will be involved during the procedure.

A consultation anesthesia is seldom necessary when removing an anal skin tag.

• During the surgical consultation, you will be given an anesthesia questionnaire. This should be completed before the scheduled anesthesia consultation or before admission to the hospital.
• Please perform any preoperative examinations (chest X-ray, ECG, blood tests) or preoperative consultations (pulmonology , cardiology) before the anesthesia consultation.  If the tests or consultations (e.g. cardiology / pulmonology) are performed outside the Europe hospitals, please remember to bring them with you to the anesthesia consultation.
  
• Patients admitted on the day of surgery, who are in good general condition, will be consulted in the operating theatre just before surgery.
• If you suffer from sleep apnea and are treated with CPAP therapy, remember to inform the anesthetist and to bring your device with you for the duration of your stay.
• Patients admitted to hospital the day before surgery will be consulted by the anesthetist in the ward the day before surgery.
• Patients wishing a consultation can request one or contact the anesthesia department:

+32 2 614 20 30

+32 2 614 40 20

Not required.

Not required.

During the consultation, home medication will be reviewed.

Particular attention will be paid to anticoagulants and anti-diabetics, some of which should be stopped after medical advice.

• Anticoagulants : Plavix®, Clopidogrel®, Sintrom®, Marcoumar®, Xarelto®, Pradaxa®,Eliquis®…
• Anti-diabetics : Glucophage®, Metformin® …

Chronic intake of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, delay healing and may increase the risk of fistulae and open wounds.

• Anti-inflammatory drugs – corticosteroids: Brufen®, Nurofen®, Cataflam®, Medrol®…

Check your medication in the section on medication.

There you will find information on whether or not to stop common medicines and the number of days that they should be stopped before surgery.

Link to chapter: Medication

During the consultation, you will be informed regarding the date and time of the hospital admission.

• If you are admitted on the day itself, you should present yourself to admission at 7 am, unless the surgeon or the secretary informed you of a different time.
• If you are admitted the day before surgery, hospitalization is between 4pm and 5.30pm. Unless the surgeon or secretary informed you of a different time.

Length of hospital stay

Length of stay : Day hospitalization for the large majority of patients, seldom overnight stay.

Under local anesthesia :

• Hour of admission will be communicated to you . Between registration and leaving the    hospital, you should allow a maximum of 2 hours.

Under general or locoregional anesthesia :

• Day hospitalization : Admission on the morning at 7 am and discharge the same day at 6 pm.
• 1 night stay : Admission on the morning and discharge before 2pm.

• During hospitalization, it is important to have the various certificates completed quickly (insurance, mutual insurance, sports club certificate, disability certificate, etc.). If possible, issue the certificates already in the operating theatre.
• Discharge is planned when the patient can eat independently and mobilize autonomously.
• For patients who are not independent, it is important to contact the social services quickly, even before hospitalization, to organise home care or post-operative rehabilitation.

Social service contact details:

+32 2 614 92 92

Pre-operative sequence of events :

Under local anesthesia :

• You will register and wait in the waiting room the 2nd floor until the nurse or doctor takes you directly to a small operating theatre.

Under general or locoregional anesthesia :

Before you go to the operating theatre, you will be asked the following questions :

• Complete the anesthesia questionnaire
• Contact details (spouse, children…)
• To urinate
• Remove jewelry, contact lenses, dentures, hearing aids….
• Put on the surgical gown

You will be taken in bed to the operation quarter. In the operating theatre, you will see the anesthesist and also your surgeon, therefore you will still have the opportunity to ask questions.

For your safety, you will be asked at several times for your name and the reason (type of procedure) for your presence in the operating theatre.

What should I bring to the hospital?

Comfortable clothes and supplies for your personal hygiene:

•  Pyjamas, nightgown and dressing gown
• Loose-fitting trousers, sweatpants
• T-shirts, light jumpers
• Slippers or flip-flops
• Toiletries
•  Soap, shower gel and shampoo
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Deodorant
• …

To pass the time, to have fun:

• Reading (books, magazines), games …..
• Laptop, tablet (Please bring headphones to listen to music, watch films or series without disturbing your neighbor)
• You can bring photos or a personal items to make you feel less lonely and a little more “at home”.